Foreign Minister Westerwelle considers the Turkish Prime Minister’s recent remarks about Zionism to be insulting and unacceptable. He issued the following statement inBerlinonMarch 2, 2013:

“These remarks are insulting and unacceptable. It goes without saying thatIsraelhas the right to exist as an independent state within secure borders, and that right must not be challenged by either words or deeds.”

At a UN conference inViennaon Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan compared Zionism to anti-Semitism and fascism and called it a crime against humanity.

Peace and Security

Regional conflicts, fragile or collapsed states, armed conflicts, terrorism and organized crime – all have grave consequences for the people who suffer under them. They also threaten the security and stability of entire regions and peoples.